Taking pride: A day with an M&S section manager

“It’s all about taking pride in the section.

That begins with me.”

What’s the difference between a shopper stopping to pick up a purchase and walking on by to another area of the store? For Suzanne, Menswear & Kidswear Section Manager at M&S Taunton, it’s a mix of commercial sensitivity, people management and customer care.

“My ultimate job is to drive sales by making sound commercial decisions and ensuring my team delivers excellent customer service at all times,” she says. “Working in such a fast-moving commercial environment, interacting daily with both staff and customers, every day is different.”

These shifting trading patterns mean it’s vital for Section Managers to be open to trying something new to engage customers. Suzanne offers an example: “Following the closure of a local competitor’s store, we increased our Back To School footage and moved it out of Kidswear. That didn’t just drive sales; it enhanced the shopping experience for parents. They were able to get what they needed more easily.”

Amelia, Food Section Manager at M&S Haslemere, has a similarly shrewd commercial eye. “I was looking after a Coffee To Go in a new store and desperate to push sales of our amazing smoothies. They weren’t detailed on our menu board at the time, so I got the team to walk around the store and local area, offering free tastings.”

The results were there for all to see in a bump in that day’s Hospitality takings. And while the idea may have been Amelia’s, she is in no doubt where the real credit lies. “What I love about the job is leading a team and developing people to reach their potential. If you get your team engaged, the rest often follows – especially at M&S, where teamwork is so important.”

The reward of developing people is a recurring theme talking to Section Managers. “There’s nothing better than developing a team member who goes on to have a retail career at M&S, something they may never have considered previously,” says Amelia.

Likewise, Eron runs Hospitality at M&S Interchange Bedford and enjoys nothing more than bringing on his team. “I want my customer assistants to be passionate about their area and keen to step up to a section coordinator role, then aim for section manager. It’s all about taking pride in the section…and that begins with me.”

So what makes Section Managers so proud to work for M&S?

Suzanne, Amelia and Eron are unanimous in their praise of the working culture. For Eron it’s a “great work-life balance and a company that genuinely appreciates its employees.” Suzanne enthuses about “strong, passionate teamwork, striving to do the best for our customers and staff.”

Perhaps Amelia puts it best: “We work hard but we’re not afraid to have a smile while doing so. Oh, and then there are the lemon muffins in the Food Hall!”

Interested in joining Suzanne, Amelia and Eron in becoming an M&S Section Manager? See our ad, ‘Say yes to inspiring customers’, in the Jobs section.